Unfortunately, if you want your website to rank on Google, avoiding SEO is not an option. Ranking well on Google is a trial and error task. Once you do see your website ranking well, this doesn’t give you the green light to hang up the boots.
Your SEO needs to be actively monitored, keyword researching, and competitor researching need to be carried out to keep up your website relevant and rank well on Google. Factors like word count, tags, and well-timed social media posts that boost SEO are all part of the overall goal.
IMS have put together a few points to follow when you are looking to rank better on Google:
Select the right keywords:
- First, create a list of keywords relevant to your industry/services and research how these are ranking on Google in relation to your website. There are plenty of tools out there to use to help you along, including, Google AdWords keyword planner and Moz keyword explorer.
- Use the language your customers use. What words and phrases would a customer search for when they are looking for a service/product like yours?
- Select keywords that have the highest relevancy and buyer intent and keywords that receive a reasonably high number of monthly searches. The above tools will give you your search volume results for each keyword.
- The competition for certain keywords is the most difficult area to manage. There are very few companies that can rank for broad 1-2 word phrases. Think more specific to your industry and service or product, long tail keywords have less competition and accelerate lead generation.
- Have a look at your Google analytics to research what customers are searching to find your website. Consider using these keywords to push more traffic to your website.
Tools to help:
- Google Adwords Keyword Planner – This free keyword research tool will find you the right keywords for your business to focus on
- Google Search Console – Analyse the keywords visitors use to find your website and review the number of impressions and clicks they receive.
- Google Trends – This is a helpful free tool to show you how often a certain keyword is searched all over the world and how relevant and current your search terms are.
Keep Keywords in mind for all areas:
- Website – A very important place to research your keyword phrases. Make sure the focus of each page is based on keywords related to your topic. Google understands what is on your page, so don’t try and con them, they will penalise you if you try to pull the wool over their eyes!
- Emphasize keywords in headings, in the first paragraph, at the beginning of a sentence or in bold.
- Include keywords in your page’s heading <H1> and subheadings <H2>
- Create internal links using important keywords
- Your meta descriptions should also use keywords
- Don’t forget to use keywords in your alt text on images throughout your website
- Social Media – Use keywords here on your profile pages, updates, etc.
- Collateral– Make sure to continue using important keywords in all collateral you produce for your business, for example, data sheets, whitepapers, case studies, etc.
SEO does not work overnight, it requires a lot of research, understand your customer and their needs and wants, search for trends relating to your industry, keep up with forums and FAQ pages. If you would like to gather more information on our Digital Marketing services please contact our office on 091 739450, we look forward to hearing from you.